Course Title: Humanities
Discipline: Interdisciplinary, Language Arts, Social Science
Grade Level: 10 Honors
Prerequisites: This course is intended for highly motivated and highly capable students. Students are expected to have proficiency in the fundamentals of writing and to be able to read and comprehend fairly difficult texts. This course will be challenging and will require reading and study outside of classtime.
This course reads and discusses classical philosophy, the epic, and drama exploring the theological, political, societal, and historical contexts for these readings, with an emphasis on recognizing how these ideas make up the "great dialogue" by which human beings attempt to make sense out of life.
Course work will consist of individual as well as small group presentations and participation in class discussion of the assigned materials. We do internet based research and develop multi-media presentations as well as traditional style research papers, essays, and documented reports. Academic writing rules and MLA format will
Over arching themes: Exploring foundations of Graeco-Hebraic thought; exploring universal themes of human suffering, justice, and the search for meaning. We examine world-views, history, and art that relate to the themes introduced in these works. This course will cross subject areas of history, social studies, philosophy, and humanities, as well as English.
Quarter
1: The Ancient World
A. Test taking skills/grammar/composition rules (6 weeks)
B. Heroic deeds (3 weeks)
Epic Conventions
Homeric & tragic heroes
Gilgamesh selections
Creation stories
Plato
Odyssey, Aenid, Iliad redux
C. Research/Outide projects & presentations
Outside Reading Choices: Antigone, Medea, Song of Roland, Oedipus, Troilus & Cressida, Tristan & Isolde
Quarter 2: Middle Ages/Medieval Era
A. Philosophical terminology (-isms). (2 wks).
Plato/Aristotle continued.
A&E Plato Biography
Allegory of the Cave (selections) Republic (selections)
B. Julius Caesar (4 weeks)
Julius Caesar background & very brief Shakespearean intro.
C. Faust D. Research/outside projects
Outside novel exam
E. Medieval Europe (2.5-3 weeks)
Castle architecture Warfare & weaponry
Cosmology Religion & philosophical beliefs
Feudalism Mystery cycle plays
Navigator
Seventh Seal
F. Arthurian legends (1 week)
A&E Mort d' Arthur
G. Medieval research paper & presentation
Outside Reading Choices: Beowulf, Gawain & the Green Knight, Everyman, Canterbury Tales -selections, The Second Shepherd's Play
Quarter 3: The Renaissance
A. Dante's Inferno (selections) (1.5
weeks)
B. Machiavelli (.5 week)
C. Don Quixote (selections) (1 week)
D. Midsummer Night's Dream (1.5 weeks)
E. Tempest (if time) (2.5 weeks)
F. Decameron (selections) (2 weeks)
Outside Reading choices: Dr. Faustus, Marlowe; Goethe, Faust; Cervantes, Don Quixote, Machiavelli, The Prince, Milton, Paradise Lost; Boccaccio, The Decameron
Quarter 4: Industrial revolution/Romantic
A. Romanticism/ Classicism (1.5 week)
Transformation Monsters
Science Fiction
B. Frankenstein (3.5 weeks)
Shelley, Byrin, Coleridge
A & E Shelley
The Real Frankenstein
C. Doll's House (1 week)
D. Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (2 weeks)
E. Research/outside Projects (1 week)
Birth of Romanticism, clash with Classicism, Frankenstein, Doll's House, Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
Outside Reading Choices: Dracula, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Passage to India, Kim, Metamorphosis, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Catch 22, The Good Earth
Students will: